Clay Aiken's best friend – and the mother of their 7-week-old son Parker – music producer Jaymes Foster, 50, chatted with PEOPLE during the magazine's photo shoot at Aiken's home in North Carolina, where Foster is currently staying. While Aiken tended to Parker, who was conceived via in vitro fertilization, Foster dished about her pregnancy, being an older mom, and who's better at changing diapers:

What is it about Clay that makes him a great dad?Jaymes: He's an incredible caregiver. As far as changing the diapers and seeing what's wrong with [Parker] and getting him to go sleep, Clay's a natural and he's really, really good with that. On a larger scale, he's the perfect person. He's been a school teacher, we have the same morals, family is very important to him and Parker means everything to us.

At age 50, do you feel ready to take on parenting for the first time?Jaymes: I really think I was not ready to have children – well, I know I was not ready to have children, be a mother – in my 20s or 30s. I had the freedom then to travel the world and have a wonderful career. I believe at this point in my life it's the right time, and I think because it's the right time, I'll hopefully do a good job. If I don't, Clay will be all over me!

Was the pregnancy difficult?Jaymes: I thought I'd be one of the lucky ones that didn't get the nausea, that I'd sail right through the pregnancy. But unfortunately I had it the whole time! I dealt with it on my own until I found out that there is a great new medication that helps eliminate the nausea, which I took the entire pregnancy. But other than that, it was really a breeze.Do you support Clay's decision to publicly acknowledge he's gay?Jaymes: I totally support him. It's his choice. It's a choice that he made. I love him and I'll support him in any choice that he makes, whether as an entertainer, or a father, human being, of course I support him.

Are there any baby-related chores that you or Clay shy away from?Jaymes: It's funny because we were both very relaxed from the minute he was born. But the one thing I'm a little nervous about is clipping his hand nails because I think I might cut him, so Clay definitely has a handle on that and takes care of that. [Parker] doesn't like baths so much, so I tend to do the bathing because he kind of cries through that so I've taken that on as a job. Clay would be happy to do that, but I just figure, okay, if he does the nails, I'll do the bath.

How has your relationship with Clay changed since Parker's birth?Jaymes: We love each other dearly and deeply as friends, but I think as parents now, there's an even greater bond, certainly for me. Our job is to remain best friends for the rest of our lives and that's the most important thing for Parker.

Support continues to pour in for Clay Aiken, who publicly acknowledges he's gay in the upcoming issue of PEOPLE. His latest well-wisher: Lance Bass, who came out on the cover of PEOPLE two years ago.

"I'm happy for him," says Bass, 29. "It's good to see someone actually being true to who they are. I think it's something that's nice to share with the world, because it really does relieve a lot of pressure off of you."

The former 'N Sync-er (who is currently on Dancing with the Stars) adds that he believes Aiken will "live his life the way he wants to live it and that's the best advice I can give him."

And like Aiken (now a father to 7-week-old son Parker), Bass says he, too, hopes to have children: "But I have to find the right person to do it with. I've always dreamed of having a large family."

Still, Bass jokes of Aiken’s decision to share his story the same way he did: "Coming out on the cover of PEOPLE magazine? I mean, c'mon. Can't he be just a little bit more original?"

its purpose is to help all the gay people out there feel more comfortable with how they are and coming out about it instead of being ashamed & hiding it all the time. This is for all you gay people out there, thank me.

its purpose is to help all the gay people out there feel more comfortable with how they are and coming out about it instead of being ashamed & hiding it all the time. This is for all you gay people out there, thank me.

I'm sure it was meant to be helpful, but, seriously, who didn't know that he was gay? :lol:

its purpose is to help all the gay people out there feel more comfortable with how they are and coming out about it instead of being ashamed & hiding it all the time. This is for all you gay people out there, thank me. :lol: